Pope Leo says ‘religious faith’ can help fight ‘climate change’ at global conference

(LifeSiteNews) — Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday sent a video message to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2026 Austrian World Summit, calling for people of various faiths throughout the world to increase their “care for creation” and work towards a society rooted in “solidarity and human dignity.”

In his June 16 remarks to the Summit, citing Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, Leo referred to the care for the environment as an essential moral issue for Catholics and members of other faiths alike to work towards. The pontiff, citing the 2025 UN Climate Conference COP30, also called on all people to work towards creating a society in which “the common good takes precedence over profit.”

“While to some, faith may seem to have little to contribute to questions of climate change and environmental protection, the religious dimension is in fact essential to address these issues adequately. Those who believe that our world was created by God and is inherently good are compelled to assume an even greater responsibility to care for creation, since this is the requirement of their faith,” the pontiff said.

“Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience,” he added, quoting Pope Francis. “Furthermore, believers from many traditions understand ‘creation’ as a divine gift. Likewise, various religions maintain that life is sacred and therefore must be respected. We can say, then, that religious faith reinforces the overall desire to protect life and care for nature.”

Later in his remarks, the pope called for more international cooperation to combat supposed global environmental challenges such as “climate change,” lack of respect for creation, and the plundering of natural resources, stressing the apparent need to create a society centered on “the common good.”

“These challenges require international cooperation, together with cohesive and forward-looking multilateralism in order to find effective solutions,” Leo said. “Frequently, however, in deliberations and negotiations about these issues, various fears emerge: fear of changing course, fear of losing power and fear of uncertain outcomes. Only by overcoming these fears can we work together to find the right solutions.”

The pontiff continued:

It is here, I think, that religious leaders and communities can offer a special insight for supporting ambitious social and environmental efforts, for the Bible is full of examples of how people’s fears can be overcome by hope, which ultimately is a gift from God himself.

In this perspective, then, despite the naysayers or cynics, hope can be a powerful driving force. In this regard, it is not merely desirable but also genuinely possible that the progress at COP30 can be followed up with a just transition toward societies where the common good takes precedence over profit, and economic models are rooted in solidarity and human dignity. Yet, this requires wealthier countries to meet their obligations to support poorer countries financially. We also need the development of a new person-centered international financial framework to ensure that all countries, especially the poorest and those most vulnerable to climate disasters, can reach their full potential, with the dignity of their citizens respected.

This story is developing…